Matrix inserter



p 23, 1965 M. D. ABERNETHY 3,208,582

MATRIX INSERTER Filed May 16, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 l I: m wi 6 N 1 Q 2 F INVENTOR Q I MARVIN D. ABERNETHY BY Q- Q;

m A T TORNEY p 8, 1965 M. D. ABERNETHY 3,208,582

MATRIX INSERTER Filed May 16, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY p 28, 1965 M. D. ABERNETHY 3,208,582

MATRIX INSERTER INVENTOR MARVIN D. ABERNETHY BY A TTORNE Y United States Patent Office 3,208,582 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 3,208,582 MATRIX INSERTER Marvin D. Abernathy, 727 Boundary Ave., Silver Spring, Md. Filed May 16, 1963, Ser. No. 281,071 8 Claims. (Cl. 19918) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates generally to line casting machines and more specifically, to a matrix inserter for use in a linecasting machine.

In the conventional linecasting machine, assembly of the desired line of type is controlled through a keyboard which is an integral part of the machine and which may be operated either manually or through a punched-tape actuated unit. It is in the latter type of operation that the present invention finds its major application.

The standard linecasting machine keyboard contains only the conventional characters, such as, the English alphabet, Arabic numerals and the usual punctuation marks. Therefore, when it became necessary to insert matrices bearing special characters such as, mathematical symbols, diacritics, accented characters, or umlaut vowels, known in the printing art as pi-matrices, it was necessary for the operator to stop the machine and to manually insert the desired matrix into the matrix assembler.

This would normally require the operator of the teletypesetter perforator, or like tape-punching device, to devise a method of indicating to the linecasting machine monitor the necessity for inserting a matrix at a given point in the copy and the particular character to be inserted. One method of accomplishing this has been for the operator of the tape perforating machine to punch a code in the tape to stop the linecasting machine, run a length of blank tape through the machine, stop the perforating machine and write in the blank space the character to be placed in that position.

In most shops using linecasting machines, eificient production requires that each operator monitor more than one machine. The necessity for manual insertion of pi-matrices requires that the operator watch only one machine during the casting of any copy containing picharacters and where the copy contains a great amount of such material it becomes necessary to stop and start the machine continually throughout the casting of the type. Thus, an operator is confined to a single machine and a great deal of time is lost, by the operators of both the tape perforating and linecasting machines.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to eliminate the necessity for the manual insertion of pi-matrices in linecasting machines.

Another, and more specific object of this invention is to provide a simple compact and inexpensive pi-matrix inserting device adaptable for use in conjunction with any standard linecasting machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic pi-matrix inserter in which the matrices may be arranged in stack-like fashion in the order in which they are to appear in the copy.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an automatic pi-matrix inserter in which provision is made for automatically stopping the operation of the linecasting machine keyboard after a predetermined number of pi-matrices have been selected.

The foregoing objects are accomplished by providing a matrix inserter comprising a base member having stacking guides mounted thereon for storing a plurality of matrices and means for delivering a preselected one of said matrices to the linecasting machine matrix assembler in response to a predetermined condition in the linecasting machine actuator.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the matrix inserter comprises a base member having a hole therein which conforms generally to the shape of a pimatrix but which is larger in cross-sectional area.

The base member is adapted for attachment to any standard linecasting machine in such a manner that the opening in the base member is in communication with the main matrix delivery belt of the linecasting machine. Mounted on the base member are guide means for maintaining a stack of pi-matrices in the order in which they are to appear in the copy. Also mounted on the base plate is a solenoid member operatively linked to a U- shapcd matrix selector. The selector is slideably fastened to the base member, and is adapted to grasp the lowermost matrix in the stack in response to a signal received by the solenoid member and cause the matrix so removed to pass through the opening in the base member and thence onto the matrix delivery belt.

In order to stop the operation of the linecasting keyboard after a predetermined number of pi-matrices have passed through the base plate hole and on to the matrix delivery belt, switch means is provided which electrically connects to the stop circuit of the line-casting machine and which is mechanically disposed adjacent the matrix stack guide members in such a manner that the pi-matrix pieces do not impinge upon the switch member. A special stop piece having a projecting arm is then positioned after the last pi-matrix desired to be delivered. After delivery of the last pi-matrix, the stop piece will impinge upon the switch member, stopping the operation of the linecasting keyboard.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will become clearer from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the hereto affixed drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a pi-matrix inserting device embodying elements of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front side elevational view of the device;

FIG. 3 is a front end elevational view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear end elevational view of FIG. 2:

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed side elevational view of the rigid, pointed guiding element of the device incooperative relation to the bar-point slot of a conventional matrix;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional matrix;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the device of the invention, partly broken away, showing a bottom matrix in the magazine prior to release, and also showing a micro-switch and stop member, the latter being projected to an upper position in the magazine to show interre lated detail;

FIG. 8 is a view partially diagrammatic and partially in side elevation, showing the invention in connection with the linecasting machine and the operating unit;

FIG. 8a is a plan view of a tape, showing a code punched therein to operate the linecasting machine and the pi-matrix inserting device of the invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged detailed top plan view of a part of the device embodying the invention shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are detail cross-sectional views taken along the line 9-9 in FIG. 9 illustrating successive positions of the matrices in the magazine during an operating cycle of the matrix selector.

Referring now to the drawings, and specifically to FIGS. 1 through 6, there is shown a preferred embodi-.

ment of the subject matrix inserter 10 in which reference numeral 11 represents a base plate having an opening 12 therein of a shape conforming generally to that of'm'atrix' 13 shown in FIG. 6, but slightly larger in cross-sectional area. Mounted at one end of the base plate are stacking guides 14 and 15 for supporting a stack of matrices on a rearward ledge 16 and forward ledges 17 in proximity to opening 12. Secured to flange 18 of stacking guide 14 is a microswitch 19 having an actuating button 20 and an actuating arm 21 in operative relation thereto. (See FIG. 4.) The arm 21 is mounted so as to extend into the stacking area defined by guides 14 and 15.

Mounted at the other end of base plate 11 is a solenoid 22 having an armature 23 and lead wires 24. The solenoid is of a standard variety wherein an electrical pulse applied between wires 24 causes rotation of armature 31, and consequent tensioning of a spring member (not shown). Upon deenergization of the solenoid the tensioned spring is released, returning the armature to its original position.

A matrix selector 25 having L-shaped arms 26, is attached to pin 27 of the armature so that armature rotation causes a linear displacement of matrix selector 25 and the spring action causes the selector to return to its initial position. In its normal at rest position, as shown most clearly in FIG. 1 and 2, matrix selector 25 is in sliding relation with base plate 11 and L-shaped arms 26 are in close proximity to the forward portion of opening 12 and forward ledges 17. Displacement of matrix selector 25 is restricted by selector guides 28 to a linear path.

A knife-shaped bar-point 29, functioning as a matirx stop, is secured in a mounting 30 and extends over the forward portion of opening 12 for a distance approximately equal to the length of bar-point slot 31 of typical matrix 13, shown in FIG. 6. The bar-point isalso raised above the surface of base plate 11 a distance approximately equal to the edge thickness of a bar point slot, which is invariant among pi-matrix pieces. This is clearly seen in FIG. 5 where the lowermost matrix 13 is shown as it is moved forward under bar-point 29. All other matrices in the stack however, are prevented from being passed through the opening by the bar-point.

To insure that the selected matrix after passing through opening 11 reaches a matrix deliver belt 32 of the linecasting machine 33 in the proper position, chute 34 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 may be provided to communicate between opening 12 and the matrix deliver belt 32. In the example of operation of the invention described below however, chute 34 is omited as unnecessary. Referring now to FIGS. 7 through 12, for the preferred mode of operation and more particularly to FIG. 7, matrix 13 is shown in position as the bottom matrix in a stack of matrices designated by a dotted line extending from the extremities of matrix 13 to a stop-piece 35, placed on top of the last matrix to be selected. While rearward ears 36 of matrix 13 easily clear actuating arm 21, a projection 37 on the stop-piece will strike the actuating arm upon reaching the bottom position. Rearward cars 36 of matrix 13 abut against stacking guide 14 while forward ears 38 interlock with L-shaped arms 26 of matrix selector 25, just prior to the selection of matrix 13.

FIGS. 9, 1O, 11 and 12 show a preferred operating cycle of the matrix selector 25 with the arrows designated 1 and 2 in FIG. 9 indicating respectively the operating and return strokes, FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 being taken on line 99 in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 shows the stack of matrices with the L-shaped arms 26 of martix selector 25 resting just behind forward ears 38 of bottom matrix 13. FIG. 11 shows the forward stroke of matrix selector 25 which moves the bottom matrix 13 over opening 12, permitting it to drop therethrough and tilting the remainder of the stack of matrices up on the L-shaped selector arms. In FIG. 12, matrix selector 25 is shown after it has completed the return stroke and L-shaped arms 26 once more rest just behind the forward ears 38 of the next lower matrix in the stack, and the cycle of operation may now be repeated.

FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 show an alternative mode of cycling the operation of matrix selector 25. Here, the L-shaped arms 26 in the at-rest position support the stack of matrices in a tilted position, as shown in FIG. 13. In the operating stroke designated by arrow 1 in FIG. 1, the arms move forward and lodge just behind the forward ears 38 of the lowermost matrix 13. Then, on the return stroke, matrix 13 is pulled over the hole 11 and falls therethrough, as shown in FIG. 15, and arms 26 once more rest below the forward ears 38 of the lowermost matrix in the stack supporting the stack in a tilted position, ready for another cycle of operation.

In FIG. 8, the matrix inserter 10 of the invention is shown positioned by adjustable mounting 39 over the matrix delivery belt 32 of a linecasting machine 33 having a martix assembler 40. Tape 41, a segment of which is shown in FIG. 8a, is punched with a variety of hole patterns to designate the selection of various desired characters. One of these patterns, for example, that designated by reference character 42 indicates to the operating unit 43 that a pi-matrix is to be selected.

The matrices are placed in a stack between guides 14 and 15 as described above, in an order corresponding with instructions received with the reel of tape designated generally at 44. Thus, each time that unit 43 senses hole configuration 42, a pulse will appear at output circuit 45, actuating solenoid 22. This will cause matrix selector 25 to pass through its operating cycle as described above and cause the lowermost matrix in the stack to pass through opening 11 and onto matrix delivery belt 32. From there the matrix will be assembled in the proper position in martix assembler 40.

After a predetermined number of matrices in the stack have passed on to the delivery belt and into matrix assembler 40, stop piece 35 reaches the bottom position, and as described above in connection with FIG. 7, strikes actuator arm 21. Normally closed microswitch 19 opens, breaking the series connection between solenoid 22 and unit 43, bringing the tape reading operation to a standstill.

Microswitch 19 is actually connected to the stop circuit of operating unit 43, which is in turn electrically connected to each of the regular machine matrix selection circuits. However, for the sake of clarity, the simple series circuit described above has been depicted.

It should be noted that there are many changes which can be made in both the structure and operation of my matrix inserter without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, instead of using a solenoid having a rotary motion as described above, it would be equally posible to utilize a solenoid whose armature moves linearly. Similarly, when chute 34 is utilized, it may be adjustably mounted to attain any desired angle of tilt and further may be attached at either end of base plate 11 to suit the exigencies of a particular situation.

The invention described herein may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a linecasting machine having an actuator, a matrix inserter comprising: a base plate having an opening therein, a pair of spaced guide members mounted on said base plate for maintaining a plurality of matrices having bar point slots in a stack, means mounted on said base plate for removing the lowermost matrix from said stack and passing it through said opening, means mounted on said base plate and extending a distance approximately equal to the length of a bar-point slot over said opening for preventing all other matrices from passing through said opening, and means for stopping the operation of said actuator after a predetermined number of matrices have passed through said opening.

2. A matrix inserting device for linecasting machines comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a magazine adapted to store matrices and mounted on said base plate adjacent to said opening, means for releasing said matrices individully from said magazine to cause them to fall through said opening, means for actuating said matrix releasing means, actuable means adjacent said magazine for halting operation of said matrix releasing means when actuated, and means in said magazine for actuating said actuable means.

3. A matrix inserting device for linecasting machines comprising a base plate having an opening therein adapted to receive a linecasting matrix, means mounted on said base plate to form a storage magazine for a stack of matrices having ears, said base plate having ledge portions for supporting the matrices in said magazine, selector arms slidably mounted on said base plate positioned to engage the ears of the lowest matrix in said magazine to pull said lowest matrix ofr said ledge portions and causing it to drop through said opening in said base plate, a delivery belt of said linecasting machine being positioned to receive said lowest matrix and means for actuating said selector arms.

4. A matrix inserting device for linecasting machines comprising: a base plate having an opening for the passage therethrough of a linecasting matrix having ears and a bar-point slot, guides mounted on said base plate adjacent said opening to form a magazine for storing a stack of said matrices, said base plate having ledge portions located at the front and rear of said magazine to support said matrices in said magazine, a rigid pointed member mounted on said base plate and positioned to be in registry with the bar point slot of the lowermost matrix in said stack of matrices stored in said magazine, a solenoid mounted on said base plate, means including a pair of arms slidably mounted on said base plate and operatively connected to said solenoid, said arms being positioned so as to rest behind the ears of the lowest matrix in said stack of matrices, and means for activating said solenoid to move said arms so as to pull said lowest matrix away from said magazine and under said rigid pointed member to said opening.

5. A device for selectively inserting pi-matrices, each having ears and a bar-point slot, in a linecasting machine having an operating circuit and a matrix delivery belt, comprising: a base plate having an opening therein adjacent the matrix delivery belt, means mounted adjacent to one end of said opening in said base plate for storing a stack of pi-matrices, means including at least one arm slidably mounted on said base plate and positioned to engage an ear of the lower-most matrix in said stack to release said matrix from said storage means, a solenoid mounted on said base plate connected ot said second-mentioned means and to the operating circuit and adapted to actuate said matrix-engaging arm, a rigid pointed member extending across said opening in said base plate in registry with the bar-point slot of the lowest matrix in said storing means with clearance suflicient to allow only one matrix to pass below the point of said member with each movement of the matrix releasing arm, means for controlling the operation of said solenoid, and means associated with said storage magazine for rendering the matrix releasing means inoperative.

6. A matrix inserting device for a linecasting machine having a delivery belt and also having an operating circuit and a stop circuit, comprising: a base plate having an opening therein adjacent to the delivery belt of said linecasting machine, a matrix-storage magazine mounted on said base plate, means including a solenoid mounted on ing in registry with the bar-point slot of the lower-most matrix in said magazine, the position of said pointed member with respect to said base plate being such as to alloW one matrix only to pass below said pointed member upon each forward movement of said movable means, a micro-switch connected to the stop circuit of said operating unit, and a switch actuator positioned in the matrix stack in said magazine adapted to actuate said microswitch to selectively stop the operation of the matrix inserting device.

7. A matrix inserting device for linecasting machines having an operating circuit and a stop circuit, and also provided With a delivery belt, comprising: a base plate adapted to be mounted on a linecasting machine and having an opening larger than a matrix, upright guides forming a matrix magazine, said base plate having supporting surface portions for the lowermost matrix in said magazine, selector means including a pair of L-shaped arms positioned to engage the shoulders of the lowermost matrix in said magazine, said arms being movable to pull said lowermost matrix oil? said supporting surfaces, causing it to fall through said opening onto the delivery belt of said linecasting machine, means on said base plate for guiding said selector means, a solenoid connected to the operating circuit, said solenoid being electrically connected to said selector means to actuate said L-shaped arms in accordance with a signal from said operating circuit, a knife-shaped stop member secured to said base plate in registry with the bar-point slots of said matrices in said magazine, with clearance to allow only the lowermost matrix to pass below said stop member, a micro-switch mounted on said linecasting machine adjacent to said magazine, said micro-switch being connected to the stop circuit of the linecasting machine, and stop piece means stored with said matrices in said magazine for causing said micro-switch to stop said linecasting machine oper ating unit upon release of a predetermined matrix from said magazine.

8. A matrix inserter for a linecasting machine comprising: a base plate having an opening therein, ledge means disposed about the periphery of said opening for supporting a stack of matrices thereon, means for causing a preselected one of said matrices to pass through said opening, and means extending a substantial distance over said opening for preventing the passage therethrough of the others of said matrices.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,869,717 1/59 Rosetto et al. 199-18 2,876,007 3/59 Patrick 271-44 2,924,327 2/60 Heimel 19918 2,968,237 1/61 Katz l0166 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. 

8. A MATRIX INSERTER FOR A LINECASTING MACHINE COMPRISING: A BASE PLATE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, LEDGE MEANS DISPOSED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID OPENING FOR SUPPORTING A STACK OF MATRICES THEREON, MEANS FOR CAUSING A PRESELECTED ONE OF SAID MATRICES TO PASS THROUGH SAID OPENING, AND MEANS EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE OVER SAID OPENING FOR PREVENTING THE PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF THE OTHERS OF SAID MATRICES. 